Bootlegs

["Guilty By Association"] takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the guilt by
association mentality we sometimes find in Christianity. So often instead
of searching the Scriptures, we let other people do our thinking, telling us
that God gave them a message for us to "send money to support this" or "not
to listen to that." Without the Bible backing up what we say, it's
impossible for us to speak with authority, which is the theme behind this
reggae-flavored song.

I got here yesterday and I've heard just about all the bands yesterday
and today. The Jesus rock thing is very happening, you understand, but not
everyone agrees with those of us who are here, you know? It wasn't too long
ago, I was going through my mail, I pull out this magazine, and I start
reading, and it's got an article in it about a very big evangelist. I don't
want to name any states or anything, but this guy had been the latest to
jump on the bandwagon, and said that all of this so-called Jesus rock 'n
roll was of the devil.

I want to know why they always have to pick on rock 'n roll, you know
what I'm saying? I mean, after all those different kinds of music out
there, why not some other kind of music for a change? I mean, you got polka
music, you got bagpipe music, why not one of those? I have seen a bagpipe
upclose, those guys don't have anything over on me, I know what bagpipes
are like. First of all, they're made out of a goat skin. They've got ten
horns coming out of the side of this goat skin, looks like something in the
book of Revelation. And the men who play bagpipes are dressed like
women!

But no no no, they've always got to pick on rock 'n roll because they
decided they don't like its connotations, they don't like the trappings of
rock 'n roll, therefore it must be guilty by its association. So we took
that example and two other examples of this kind of "guilt by association"
mentality, wrote a little reggae song and it's called "Guilty By
Association".

I'm not so sure that it's pointed enough. We just completed a tour of western Canada, and one of the concerts in a fairly small town was boycotted by most of the churches, with parents making their teenagers stay home. The promoter explained to me that this was due in large part to a recent article by a certain American evangelist stating that contemporary Christian music is incompatible with true biblical Christianity. I guess that means Leroy, who prayed to accept Jesus at the concert that night, isn't really a Christian. Perhaps this evangelist would like to call Leroy and tell him that.

HRS:In concert, you still do the little bit where
you put on the plastic hair and imitate a certain TV evangelist. What is
your feeling about that man?

S.T.: I don't want to ever convey the impression that I
don't like these people. Because it's really not that at all. I grew up in
a conservative church, and have been around conservative people most of my
life, and I think I understand why they think the way they do. The problem
I have with some of these people, and their opinions on certain subjects,
is that they aren't educated opinions, and they don't seem to have any
desire to really get to the truth of the matter. Secondly, it seems to be
motivated out of a prideful nature, you know, "Don't listen to that music,
listen to my music, because mine has been sanctified by the Holy Spirit,"
or whatever. That doesn't really speak well for a man of God in that
position.

I'd like to get together with Jimmy Swaggart sometime though, just to
chew the fat--although I probably wouldn't be the best one to do that.
Maybe Mylon (LeFevre) would be a better choice. I don't really get
impatient with those opinions, it just bothers me that so many people
believe it. That's where I get worried. If so many people accept something
just because a, quote, "Man of God," unquote, says something, without
testing it according to what scripture has to say, then we're in for all
kinds of trouble.

If you've never heard of the Christian Yellow Pages, or don't own a copy
of Jimmy Swaggart's "Religious Rock 'N' Roll: A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing,"
or have yet to come across a televangelism telethon, please skip to the next
song, because this one's too hard to explain.

DW: A lot of songs, like "Guilty By Association,"
almost seem prophetic after what happened shortly thereafter.

ST: So I think what happens is, even though people
don't disagree with the content, they would say, "that's not our place as
Christians to criticize that kind of thing." To me, that's totally wrong,
[because] it definitely is.